Beer dispenser



Dec. 20, 1938. D. c. SEITZ 2,140,816

BEER DI SPENSER Filed June 19, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet l /IIIIIIIIIIIIbIIIIII/IIIIIIII CIIIIZZZ:

INVENTOR Dean C. Seitz ATTORNEYS Dec. 20, 1938. D. c. SEITZ 2,140,816

BEER DISPENSER Filed June 19, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Dean C- Seitz 46 wumlfzda ATTORNEYS Dec. 20, 1938. D c s rrz I 2,140,816

BEER DI SPENSER Filed June 19, 1937 4 Shets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Dean C. Seitz ATTORNEYS Patented Doc. 20, 1938 BEER DISPENSER Dean 0. Belts, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor, by memo assignments, to The Bastian-Blessing Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application .Iune 19. 1937. Serial No. 149,046 1 Claims. (01. 02-141 This invention relates to beverage dispensing systems and more particularly to a method and means for dispensing a brewed beverage such as beer. ale and the like.

5 In former methods of dispensing beverages of this character it was customary to locate the transportation containers in which the beverage was received from the brewery in a keg room and conduct the beverage through a suitable conduit,

usually formed of block tin tubing, to a bar containing coils of the same. type of conduit packed in ice or other refrigerating medium which served.:to cool the beverage immediately before being dispensed to a customer. Such systems were disadvantageous in that the beverage necessarily passed through a conduit of considerable length because the cooling portion was supplementary to the conducting portion leading from the keg to. the bar. Additionally, the length of conduit extending from the keg to the cooling coil was usually exposed to the atmosphere of the room in which the equipment was located, so that it was often at an elevated temperature and soured.' Upon standing for a substantial length of time in this condition the beverage in the conduit would become heated and deteriorate, rendering it unpalatable.

Recent attempts have been made to overcome the objectionable features of a long conduit through which the beverage must be drawn and include an arrangement in which the beverage is cooled while in the original transportation container by means of coils located therein for the circulation of cooling liquid or by enclosing the container in a cooling cabinet. The beverage is then dispensed directly from the tap rod inserted into the container so that the beverage flows through but a short course. While this system overcomes the objection of a long conduit for the passage of the beverage, it is often impractical as an installation since it requires that the transportation container be located in the tap room. of the establishment and directly under the counter of the bar.

An object of the present invention isto provide an improved dispensing system in which the beverage flows through a conduit of predetermined minimum length and in which the beverage is maintained at a desirable dispensing temperature without necessitating the location of the transportation containers of the beverage in the tap room.

Another object is to utilize the conduit connecting the dispensing faucet and keg as a cooling means.

Another object is to provide a dispensing system in which pressure may be maintained on the beverage in the storage container sufflcient to retain substantially all of the original charge of carbon dioxide gas in the beverage and in 5 which the beverage during its subsequent flow through conduits and cooling means is maintained at temperatures below the equilibrium or saturation balance temperature and, upon being dispensed, flows from the spigot of the dispenser 10 with substantially all of its original carbon dioxide content in the absorbed state.

A further object is to provide an improved beverage dispensing system which is simple in construction and design and inexpensive to man- 15 ufacture and which readily lends itself to various modifications or adaptation to particular installation requirements.

The invention consists in the particular construction and combination of the several parts 20 and in the drawings suitable embodiments have been diagrammatically illustrated.

Figure l isan elevational view partly in section and with parts removed illustrating a preferred embodiment of a dispensing system con- 25 structed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view partly in section and with parts removed showing the cooling box of the dispenser; 30

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view in section showing the connection of the cooling liquid con-' duit to the bottom of the cooling box;

Fig. 4 is a section of the cooling liquid and beverage conduits taken substantially on the line 35 4-4 of Fig. l; I

Fig. 5 is a detail view with parts removed illustrating the pump and beverage conduit terminal member or distributing unit;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in section taken 40 substantially on the line 5-6 of Fig. 5 and enlarged with respect thereto;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail in section of the connections adjacent the tap rod of a beverage transportation container or keg;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail view showing a horizontal section through the conduits of Fig. 7 and enlarged with respect thereto;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detail partly in section 5 and with parts removed showing the dispensing spigot or faucet;

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic representation of the dispensing system and the controls therefor;

Figs. 11 through 13 are diagrammatic illustra- 55 tions of modified dispensing systems constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference, which indicate like parts throughout the several views, the dispensing unit comprises a bar I which may be located for example in the tap room of the beverage dealer. This bar encloses an insulated cooling liquid tank 2 which is provided with suitable means for maintainingthe cooling liquid therein within a predetermined temperature range. This may be accomplished by packing therein a quantity of ice, but preferably is done by locating therein a cooling unit comprising a plurality 'of turns or coils of a refrigerant conduit 3. The cooling liquid of the system, preferably water, enters the cooling liquid tank 2 through an inlet 4 and flows from the tank through an outlet 5. The inlet 4 is located at one end and at the rear of the bottom of the tank. A plurality of substantially horizontal bailies 6 are arranged between the coils of the refrigerant conduit 3 so that the cooling liquid or water entering through the inlet 4 flows back and forth across the rear of the cooling liquid tank and over the refrigerant conduit 3 a plurality of times. A vertical, preferably loosely fitting partition 1 extending lengthwise of the cooling liquid tank divides the chamber therein into two parts such that the inlet 4 communicates with one part and the outlet 5 communicates with the other. The partition I has anotchedout portion l3 at one end thereof for overflow of the cooling liquid. The refrigerant conduit 3 and bailles 6 are arranged in the part of the tank into which the cooling liquid from the inlet 4 flows so that the liquid is cooled before flowing through the notch l3 of the partition 1 into the part of the tank communicating with the outlet 5. Sufficient cooling liquid is maintained in the system so that the normal level thereof in the tank 2 is above the bottom edge of notch l3 of the partition I so that the fiow of liquid through the notch of the partition is facilitated and the circulating means, to be later described, does not have to overcome a pressure head. This level of the cooling liquid may be maintained by any suitable means such as an automatically controlled float valve or overflow (not shown) or an attendant may periodically inspect the system to replenish losses of the cooling liquid therefrom.

- The refrigerant conduit 3 may have circulated therethrough any well known refrigerant which, in the event water is used as the cooling liquid, preferably causes a coating of ice to form on the coils and bafiies without arresting circulation. Controls are provided for the regulation of the flow of refrigerant through the conduit 3 preferably responsive to the thermostatic bulbs 8 and 9 as well known in the art. .The bulb 8 is placed against the refrigerant conduit 3 in heat conductive relation with respect thereto so that liquid refrigerant does not flow back to the compressor unit and the bulb 9 is positioned in spaced relation with respect to the conduit 3 and governs the tank 2. Flange l2 of the sleeve seats in and is sealed to a circular depressed portion of lining l4 of the tank 2 and a series of ears I! extending radially outwardly from an intermediate portion of the sleeve ll, rests upon a supporting member l6 which extends across the bar I underneath the tank 2 and is' apertured to receive the sleeve ll. Accordingly, the sleeve II is supported on the member I6, thus relieving the cooling tank 2 of the strain of the weight of the cooling conduit l0. Preferably, the ears I! are secured to the web of the member l6 by screw bolts H which also serve to draw the flange I2 against the lining l4 to provide a suitable rigid joint.

The cooling conduit l may be formed of a flexible material such as a rubber hose, fits over the end of the sleeve H and is secured thereon by a clamping ring l8.

In the keg room, or storage place in which are kept storage containers holding the beverage to be dispensed, is located a cooling liquid circulating pump 20 driven by motor 2 I. This pump has its inlet 22 (Figs. and 6) communicating with chamber 23 in a terminal member 24 by means of a short flexible conduit 25 secured on the inlet 22 and nipple 26 of the terminal member by hose clamps 21. The lower end of the cooling conduit I0 is received on a cylindrical portion 28 of the terminal member 24 and secured in position by a hose clamp 29 to provide a fluid-tight joint.

A cooling liquid distributing member or manifold 30 (Figs. 5 and 6), preferably of arcuate shape and disposed about the terminal member 24, is connected by a short length of flexible conduit 3| to outlet 32 of the pump 20. The conduit 7 3B is secured on the outlet 32 and an inlet nipple 33 (Fig. 6) of the manifold 30 by hose clamps 34. The manifold is arranged to have connected thereto a plurality of flexible auxiliary cooling liquid conduits 36. These conduits are arranged in a radial fashion about the outer periphery of the arcuate shaped manifold and are received on nipples 31. It has been found advantageous to form the manifold 30 of a plastic compound such as vulcanized rubber of a consistency adequate to retain its shape under normal operating conditions which-corresponds to a stiffness about the same as that of the rubber used in fabricating vehicle tire treads. Annular sleeves 38 which may be of non-metallic flbre strengthen and reinforce the nipples 31 and are preferably assembled with the nipples after the vulcanization thereof. Accordingly, upon applying the hose clamps 39 which form a fluid-tight connection between the cooling liquid passage in the manifold 30 and auxiliary cooling conduits 36, the nipples 31 do not collapse. Similarly, a reinforcing band (not shown) is provided in the inlet 33 of the manifold to prevent collapse thereof upon application of the hose clamp 34.

Each of the auxiliary cooling liquid conduits 36 is connected to a terminal fltting 40 (Fig. 8). These fittings may also be advantageously formed of a yieldabie plastic material such as vulcanized rubber similar to that employed in the terminal member 24. The fittings are in the form of crosses with three intercommunicating cooling liquid passageways. The passageway 42 receives a beverage conduit, as will be hereinafter described, and the cooling liquid flowing from the manifold 30 through one of the auxiliary conduits 36. Passageway 43 receives the cooling liquid from a preceding terminal fitting through a flexible interconnecting liquid conduit 44 (or is capped by a closure 45, as indicated on the right-hand terminal fitting 40 of Fig. 1). Passageway 46 receives the cooling liquid'from the through all the auxiliary cooling conduits 36 and carries it to the inlet 4 of the cooling liquid tank. The conduits 36, 44 and 41 are received on respective sleevelike portions of the fitting 40 and liquid-tight connections made by hose clamps 48. Preferably, the sleeves of the fitting which receive the conduits are reinforced by annular nonmetallic sleeves 49 similar to the sleeves 38 in the nipples of the manifold 30.

In this manner a complete circuit for the flow of cooling liquid is provided. From the cooling tank 2 the liquid enters the cooling conduit l0 through the outlet 5 and flows through this conduit into the chamber 23 of the terminal member 24. The cooling liquid is withdrawn from the chamber 23 through the outlet nipple 26 of the terminal member by the pump 23 and forced into the manifold 30 through the conduit 3|. In the manifold the cooling liquid divides and several portions thereof individually fiow through separate auxiliary conduits 36 to the various terminal fittings 46. By means of the interconnecting conduits 44 the several portions of cooling liquid from the various auxiliary cooling conduits are commingled and flow into the single fluid return conduit 41. The lattermay be suitably formed of a flexible conduit such as garden hose,

-which may be received on a sleeve or nipple formed on the inlet 4 of the cooling liquid tank 2 and secured by a clamp 56. As previously mentioned, the liquid thus returned to the cooling tank flows back and forth through the passages between the baffles 6 and finally through the notch l3 in the top of the partition I to complete the cooling liquid circulating cycle.

Beverage to be dispensed is received in the storage containers or kegs 52 which are preferably kept in a storage or keg room, which may also accommodate the circulation pump 20, and is usually removed from the tap room in which the bar I is located. Each of the kegs to be placed on draught has applied to the bung hole thereof the usual tap fitting 53 and a tap rod 54 inserted into the keg through the fitting 53 in accordance with the usual standard practice. Each of the fittings 53 is connected by, a short gas conduit 55 to a main gas header 55which has supplied thereto under pressure a suitable gas, such as carbon dioxide, from a drum 5! through a regulating valve 58, gauge 53, and flexible conduit 60. Desirably, the gas header 56 may be secured along a wall of the keg room so that, as kegs 52 are moved into and out of place, the fittings 53 will be handy to the attendant. In this manner a suitable gas, such as carbon dioxide, is supplied through the fittings 53 to the space over the beverage in each of the kegs 52. The pressure to be maintained on the beverage is adjusted by means of the regulating valve 58 so that substantially all of the original carbon dioxide content of the brewed beverage is retained therein in accordance with the temperature or the beverage in the keg; the latter being determined, if allowed to stand for a considerable period of time, by the temperature of the atmosphere surrounding the kegs.

A primary beverage conduit 52 is carried within each of the auxiliary cooling conduits 36 and extends through the passageway 42, emerging from'the fitting through a nipple 63 opposite the sleeve portion of the fitting which receives the conduit 36 and defines the passageway 42. The material forming the nipple 63 is relatively soft and yieldable so that a hose clamp 64 readily forces the nipple closely about the conduit 62, affording a liquid-tight joint.

Preferably, the conduits 62 are formed of block tin tubing like that usually employed in beverage dispensing systems and the ends thereof, closely adjacent the nipples 63, are secured to laterally extending portions 65 formed on the top of the tap rods 54. The opposite ends of .the primary beverage conduits extend through the manifold 30, liquid-tight joints being provided by nipples 66 and clamps 61, which correspond respectively to the nipples 63 and 64 on the fittings 40. This end of each of the primary beverage conduits is connected toone of a plurality of hollow spokes 68 extending radially from a capping element or member 63 which forms part of the chamber 23 and is secured on the terminal member 24 by bolts Ill.

The connections at the ends of the primary beverage conduits with the lateral portions 65 of the tap rods and hollow spokes 66 of the capping element are made in the usual manner by flanged sleeves II sweated on the ends of the conduit and held in position by internally threaded holding collars I2.

Secondary beverage conduits 13 are carried in the cooling conduit in and each has one end thereof sweated into an aperture in the capping element 69 which communicates through a passageway 14 through one of the spokes 68 with one of the primary beverage conduits 62. The

opposite ends of the secondary beverage conduits 13 project through the flanged sleeve II and outlet opening 5 into the cooling liquid tank 2 and are connected within the tank to dispensing spigots indicated generally by the numeral I5. These spigots or taps are positioned below the normal level of the cooling liquid in the tank 2 so that the beverage flows through a course surrounded by the cooling medium substantially until it is withdrawn from the tap 'and the shank portion of the tap is chilled by the cooling medium.

U Each tap 15 has a valve 16 (Fig. 9) actuated by a lever handle 11 to control the withdrawal of beverage. Disposed inwardly of the valve I6 in neck 83 of the spigot is a throttling valve body I 16 having a longitudinal taper. This valve body rides in a correspondingly tapered portion 13 of the neck. Longitudinal adjustment of the throttling valve body 18 in the tapered chamber I9 is provided by pinion 6| journalled in the drawal of beverage in a smooth even stream at a suitable velocity of fiow and without objectionable release .of gas from the beverage. Accordingly, a gas pressure may be maintained on the beverage in the containers or kegs 52 sufiicient to retain therein substantially all of the original carbon dioxide content and to force the beverage through the conduits 36 and 'I3.- At the discharge end of the beverage conduits the taps 75.

15 by means of the tapered valve bodies 18 can then be adjusted to regulate the rate of flow of the beverage from the faucet so that the beverage flows from the conduits without losing excessive quantities of the gas content and a desirable and palatable beverage is dispensed.

A continuous circulation of the cooling liquid by the pump 29 may be employed if desired. It is, however, unnecessary that the cooling liquid or coolant be continuously in circulation. This is particularly true when the beverage is withdrawn only at intervals, such as during slack periods of business. Accordingly, a control system to regulate the operation of the motor 2| is provided. Apertures 95 (Fig. 6) in axial alinement with the secondary beverage conduits, extend through the capping element 69 into the passageways 14. Each of the apertureshas extending therethrough and threaded longitudinally into the corresponding secondary beverage. conduit I9 a capillary tube 86 associated with a thermostatically controlled electric switch 81 (Fig. 10). Liquid-tight joints in the apertures 85 around the capillary tubes are provided by packing nuts 88. The switches 81 are responsive to temperature changes ailiecting thermalresponsive fluid 89 confined in the capillary tubes 89. They are arranged to close the pump motor circuit when the beverage in any one of the conduits i3 is above a predetermined temperature and to open the circuit when the beverage in all the conduits is below another predetermined temperature. In order that the operation of the switches be reliable it is preferable to have a substantial length of capillary tubing within the secondary beverage conduits, such for example as a length of about 15 to 20 inches. This amount insures that the switches will not respond directly to atmospheric temperature but solely to the temperature within the beverage conduits. Furthermore, each of the switches 81 functions independently of the others to set the cooling liquid pump 20 in operation. Accordingly, this control system is responsive to thermal changes within the inlet ends of the beverage conduits positioned within the keg or outlet end of the cooling conduit ill from which cooling liquid flows to the pump. Upon an increase in temperature above a predetermined range in any of the beverage conduits 13 the circulation of cooling liquid through the system is started. The

flow of cooling liquid through the cooling conduits I0 and 36 is opposite in direction to the flow of beverage through the beverage conduits 92 and 13 positioned therein, thus effecting a cooling of the beverage to a temperature within the predetermined range before the beverage is dispensed through one of the taps 15.

As shown in Fig. l, the outlet end of the cooling conduit Ill connected to the terminal member 24 is inclined upwardly and disposed in a position sloping upwardly toward the terminal member. This arrangement permits the capillary tubes 86 to slope downwardly so that their extremities within the beverage conduits 13 are below the portions outside of the capping element 69, thus illustrated three kegsare shown, although the.

manifold 30 and capping element 69 are arranged to accommodate six beverage lines. Accordingly, the unused nipples 91 and 63 of the manifold are closed by caps 90 and plugs 9|. Also, the unused spokes 68 of the capping element 69 are closed by caps 92. In assembling the dispensing system, the secondary beverage conduits 13 are threaded through the cooling liquid conduit I9 and their lower ends, extending through the terminal member 24, are sweated into the passageways 14 in the capping element 89, the latter being disconnected from the terminal member 24 during this operation. The upper ends of the beverage conduits 13 are then secured to the necks 89 of the taps 15 by collared nuts 93, thus drawing the conduits l3 longitudinally through the cooling liquid conduit l9 so that the capping element 69 may then be bolted to the terminal member.

In the event that a portion of the cooling conduit l9 passes through a region of relatively high temperature between the keg room and tap room, such for example as a kitchen or boiler-room, a supplementary control for circulating the cooling liquid is provided. This control comprises an electric switch (Figs. 1 and 10) responsive to a thermostatic bulb 96 connected to the switch by a capillary tube extending through a short length of coupling conduit 91 interposed in the cooling conduit l9 at a portion thereof subjected to the most elevated temperatures. The bulb 99 is immersed in the cooling liquid and actuates the switch 95 to start the motor 2i and pump 29, upon the cooling liquid within the coupling conduit 91 increasing in temperature above a predetermined range. In this manner the pump 29 is set in operation upon either an elevation in temperature of the cooling liquid above a predetermined temperature range, or an elevation in temperature of the beverage in any one of the beverage conduits substantially at the keg end thereof above a predetermined temperature range. The switches 81 and 95 are arranged to shut off the motor 2| to stop the circulation of cooling liquid by the pump 20 upon a lowering of the temperature below the predetermined range at all of the points of the system which control the operation of the electric switches.

Referring to the diagrammatic representation of the control system illustrated in Fig. 10, the operation of the system will now be described:

Assuming the temperatures of all control containing parts of the dispenser are below the upper limit of the predetermined temperature range within which it is desired to maintain the beverage being dispensed, the motor 2| and pump 29 are idle. Then after a period of time if the portion of the cooling conduit II] in which may be arranged the coupling conduit 91 becomes warmer, due to the absorption of heat from the surrounding atmosphere, the thermally-responsive fluid in the bulb 96 causes the switch 95 to close the motor circuit and the pump 20 circulates cooling liquid through the system until the switch 95 opens the motor circuit upon lowering of the temperature at the bulb 99.

A withdrawal of beverage from any one of the taps 15 results in a flow of beverage from one of the kegs 52 under the influence of the gas pressure previously mentioned. This beverage, if above the predetermined dispensing temperature range after flowing through the relatively short primary beverage conduits 62 in heat-exchanging relation with the cooling liquid in the auxiliary 75 cooling conduits 38, flows over the capillary tube 85 at the inlet end of the secondary beverage conduit 13 and causes the thermostatic switch 81 controlled thereby to close the motor circuit and start the circulation of cooling liquid through the system. This circulation, as previously mentioned, is opposite to the direction of fiow of the beverage through the cooling conduits, so that fresh cooling liquid which has immediately before been in heat-exchanging relation with the refrigerating means commences to flow through the outlet 5 into and through the cooling conduit 10. Thus, the low temperature cooling liquid starts through the cooling conduit at one end substantially at the same time that the beverage to be cooled starts flowing through the beverage conduits disposed within the cooling conduit and from the opposite end thereof. There is substantially no lag in the cooling action and the dispensing of beverage at the proper temperature is assured. The circulation of the cooling liquid is continued until the temperature at all of the thermostatic bulbs reaches the lower limit of the predetermined range opening all the switches controlling the motor 21 If the motor is set in operation by the switch 95 on account ofan increase in the temperature of the cooling liquid within the coupling conduit 91, and then one of the taps 15 is opened to withdraw beverage before the bulb 96 opens the switch 95, the pump 20 continues in operation without stopping, since one of the switches 81 is closed in response to the increase in temperature in one of the beverage conduits 13, occasioned by the flowing therethrough of the relatively warm beverage from keg 52 from which the beverage is being withdrawn. Thus the particular switch serving to commence the circulation of cooling liquid need not be the switch which stops the motor 2 I. The control is such that any one of the thermostatic switches may commence the circulation of cooling liquid but all of them must be open for the pump to stop.

The dispensing system of the present invention readily lends itself to various installations, the particular modification to be employed depending upon the conditions in the establishment concerned. For example, the preferred embodiment described above is advantageous where the keg room, although not artificially cooled, is normally maintained at a relatively low temperature so that the beverage within the kegs 52 does not rapidly rise above that at which it is received from the brewery. The relatively slow absorption of heat through the keg walls, and the fact that the beverage is in a relatively large mass, retards the rate of temperature increase of beverage in the kegs. The auxiliary cooling conduits 36 enclosing the primary beverage conduits 62 minimize the absorption of heat by the beverage through this portion of its course to the bar and may even serve as cooling means.

A modification of the system is illustrated in Fig. 11 in which the pump unit and keg end of the cooling conduit ID are positioned within a refrigerated room I00, commonly referred to as a precooler which has insulated walls I01 and may be maintained at low temperature by any suitable refrigerating means (not shown) such as ice or a mechanical refrigerating unit. The kegs 52 are likewise positioned in the refrigerated room I and the auxiliary cooling conduits 36 dispensed with. Thus, the primary beverage conduits 62 are exposed to the atmosphere of the precooler room which is maintained at a temperature as near that of the desired dispensing range as possible. Additionally, the circulating pump 20 is run continuouslyso that there is a constant circulation of the cooling liquid. In this modification the outlet 32 of the Pump 20 is connected directly to the cooling liquid return conduit 41,

dispensing with the manifold 80 and thermostatic switches 81 together with their related parts.

In the diagrammatic illustration of Fig. 12 the system of Fig. 11 is modified by the addition of the thermostatic control switches 81 and 95 which control the circulation of the cooling liquid in the manner described above. This modification is advantageous over the embodiment of Fig. 11 in that economy of electric current is realized since the pump motor 2| only operates when required to maintain the cooling liquid around the beverage conduits at the proper temperature.

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic illustration of a modiflcation of the preferred embodiment first de-- scribed. According to this system the containers or kegs 52 are positioned in a precooler I00. The

pump unit and keg end of the cooling conduit 10 are outside of the insulated walls I III of the precooler and the primary beverage conduits are in two portions. One portion 1'03 of each of the primary beverage conduits extends from one of the kegs 52 to the wall I01 of the precooler and is not enclosed. The other'portion I 04 of each of the primary beverage conduits extends from one of the walls ll of the precooler to the terminal member 24 through the manifold 30 and is enclosed by auxiliary cooling conduits 36 which terminate at the insulated wall It I. This modification is of advantage in installations which have a keg room with a relatively high atmospheric temperature so that it is desirable to keep the kegs in a precooler, but in which it is undesirable to have the pump unit and thermostatic controls within the precooler.

During operation of any of the foregoing systems, if the temperature of the beer in the keg rises, the pressure of CO: gas is increased by means of the regulating valve 58 in accordance with the saturated balance characteristics of the beer being dispensed. The chilling of the beer in the dispensing conduits reduces the pressure necessary to maintain the CO2 gas in solution in the beverage and therefore the pressure reduction at elevated points along the dispensing conduits because of the higher elevations is insufllcient to substantially reduce the prevailing pressure below the saturated balance pressure at the prevailing temperature of the beer in the conduit. Thus,

the reduction of the temperature of the beer in the dispensing conduits compensates for the reduction of pressure at higher elevations and prevents obiectionable release of CO: gas from the beer in the dispensing conduits.

A dispensing system of the character described above has numerous advantages. The beverage is conducted from the storage container through a course which need be no longer than sufficient tocool the beverage flowing therethrough. The length of this course is dependent somewhat on the rate at which the beverage is to be withdrawn and the temperature at which it is maintained in the containers 52. For normal operation it has been found that a length of about thirty feet of the cooling conduit I0 is sufilcient to insure adequate cooling of the beverage and the primary conduits 62 are preferably made as short as possible, being merely of sumcient length to reach been disclosed for purposes of illustration and description and various alterations and variations thereof and substitutions of the several parts are contemplated and intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

What I! claim is:

l. A bet/erage cooler and dispenser comprising a plurality of faucetsthrough which beverage may be drawn as required, a plurality of beverage conduits each having one end connected to a faucet and the other end connectable to one of a plurality of containers in'which beverage is retained until withdrawn as required, a cooling liquid conduit enclosing the beverage conduits to provide a chamber surrounding and extending longitudinally of the beverage conduits, means for circulating a cooling liquid through the cooling liquid conduit, means for cooling the cooling liquid upon circulation thereof, and means individually responsive to the temperature in each beverage conduit at points remote from said faucets for controlling the operation of the cooling liquid circulating means.

2. A beverage cooler and dispenser comprising a plurality of faucets through which beverage may be drawn as required, a plurality of beverage conduits each having one end' connected to a faucet and the other end connectable to one of a plurality of containers in which beverage is retained until withdrawn as required, a cooling liquid conduit enclosing the beverage conduits to provide a chamber surrounding and extending longitudinally of. the beverage conduits, means for cooling the cooling liquid, means for circulating a cooling liquid through the cooling liquid conduit in a direction opposite to the direction of flow of beverage through the-beverage conduits, and means individually responsive to the temperature in each beverage conduit for controlling the operation of the cooling liquid circulating means. 1

3. A beverage cooler and dispenser comprising a plurality of faucets through which beverage may be drawn as required, a plurality of beverage conduits each having one end connected to a faucet and the other end connectable to one of a plurality of containers in which beverage is retained until withdrawn as required. a cooling li uid conduit enclosing the beverage conduits to pr vide a chamber surrounding and extending longitudinally of the beverage'conduits, means for circulating a cooling liquid through the cooling liquid conduit, means for cooling the cooling liquid, and means individually responsive to the temperature in each beverage conduit near the circulating means for controlling the operation of the cooling liquid circulating means.

4. A beverage cooler and dispenser comprising a plurality of faucets through which beverage may be drawn as required, a plurality of beverage conduits each having one end connected to a faucet and the other end connectable to one of a plurality ofcontainers in which beverage is retained until withdrawn as required, a cooling liquid conduit enclosing the beverage conduits to 5. A beverage cooler and dispenser comprisinga plurality of faucets through which beverage may be drawn as required, a plurality of beverage conduits eachhaving one end connected to a faucet and the other end connectable to one of a plurality of containers in which beverage is retained until withdrawn as required, a cooling liquid conduit enclosing the beverage conduits to provide a chamber surrounding and extending longitudinally of the beverage conduits, a cooling tank in open communication with said cooling liquid conduit and provided with refrigerated means for cooling said cooling liquid, means for circulating a cooling liquid through the cooling liquid conduit, and means responsive to the temperature in a portion of each beverage conduit remote from said faucets for controlling the operation of the cooling liquid circulating means, said portions of the beverage conduits being enclosed by a portion of the cooling liquid conduit and positioned near the circulating means.

6. A beverage cooler and dispenser comprising one or more beverage conduits, each conduit extending between a. beverage container and a faucet, a cooling liquid conduit enclosing the beverage conduits throughout substantially their entire lengths and arranged to have a cooling liquid passed therethrough to cool the beverage in the enclosed beverage conduit, means for extracting heat from the cooling liquid, means for carrying cooling liquid from the cooling liquid conduit adjacent the beverage containers and returning it to the cooling liquid conduit adjacent the faucets, means for circulating cooling liquid through the system, and means responsive solely to the temperature within portions of the beverage conduits remote from the faucets for controling the circulation of cooling liquid.

'7. The method of dispensing beverage from a plurality of containers having beverage therein which comprises conducting beverage from each container through an individual course of relatively small cross-sectional area to an individual faucet, intermittently circulating cooling liquid as required through a path surrounding all the courses throughout substantially their entire lengths and in a direction opposite to the direction of flow of the beverage,-cooling the cooling liquid during its circulation, and regulating the flow of cooling liquid through said path in accordance with the temperature of beverage in portions of the courses of the beverage enclosed by cooling liquid in the circuit of the cooling liquid to maintain the beverage in each course below a predetermined maximum temperature at selected points in the system.

DEAN C. SEITZ. 

